Can-filling machine.



LE'WIS A. BAKER, OF ELGIN, ILLINOIS.

CAN-FILLING MACHINE. i

riflesse.

Application led February 14, 1913.

lb all fil/7mm 'it may] concern 15e it known that I, Lewis A. Baken, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of' lrllgin, in the county of Kane and State ot lllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can-Filling Machines; and I do hereby declare that the Following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which .form a part ot this specification.

This invention relates to in'iprovements in van filling machines and refers more specifically, in one aspect of the invention, to a machine adapted to fill fruit cans with syrup after the fruit has been supplied thereto, prior to the sealing of the can, and to valve mechanism for controlling the flow of the syrup to the cans.

'.lhe invention is herein shown as applied lo the general type of machine illustrated in my prior United States Patent, No. 910,265, granted to me on the 19th day of January, 1909. Said type of machine embraces a central tank or reservoir to contain the fluid or syrup to be fed to the cans, and a plurality of' valve devices for intermittently discharging the liquid into the cans placed beneath the valve devices, the rescrvoir being rotated about its axis and the machine being provided with a rotative carrier means by which the cans are supported while being filled and constructed to raise the cans to and lower the same away from the valve devices.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of the parts herein shown and described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

ln the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of' a valve device embodying my invention, with a part of the reservoir or tank shown in section. Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail of the lower end of the vent tube for the filling device and its guard shoe. Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

As shown in the drawings, 10 designates a portion of the central tank or reservoir. l1, 12 designate the two parts of the filling tube which extends upwardly through the tank, the part 12 ot which extends through an opening in the tank bottom 13 and depends below said bottom. The upper tube part or member 11 is seated at its lower end in a re- Speecation of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1, 1914.

Serial No. 748,307.

cessed portion of the upper end of the lower tube part or section 1.2. The opening in the tank bottom tlnrough which the two-part tube extends is counterbored to receive the upper flanged end 1l ot the lower tube section 12. 'lhe filling tube thus made up is clamped to the tank bottom by a lock nut 15 which is screw-threaded to the lower tube section 12 and bears against the under side oil the tank bottom. 'lhe filling tube, thus iliade up ot the principal parts 11 and 12, may be otherwise made and fixed to the tank bottom. The constri'iction herein shown, however, provides a ready means for attaching the tube to the tank whereby it may be readily assembled and readily taken apart for cleaning purposes.

16 designates a sleeve which fits upon the lower end of' the filling tube and is adapted to slide up and down thereon. Its downward movement thereon is limited by a shoulder 1G. The said sleeve terminates at its lower end in a bell-shaped mouth 17 to the lower end of which the upper, open ends of the cans A are presented. The lower rim of said bell-shaped mouth is grooved to receive a yielding ring 1S against which the mouths or edges of the open ends of the cans are pressed to thereby bring the can accurately to the mouth, notwithstanding slight irregularities in its presentation. Further the yielding ring also constitutes a sealing ring to prevent the escape of air or liquid between the can and the belLShaped mouth 17 when the can is raised thereagainst. The

said bell-shaped mouth is made sufficiently large to receive the upper layers of fruit in thecan which when inserted in the can in a raw state are piled substantially above the level of' the can mouth, so that when they are later cooked and. therefore, drop, the can is substantially filled. -The extension of the fruit into the nozzle mouth has the effect to decrease the volume of air within said mouth.

The discharge tube, comprising the sections 11 and 12, is provided, within the tank 10, with an opening 19 through which liquid flows from the tank to the filling tube. The lower end of' the filling tube is provided, within the bellshaped mouth 17, with a conical valve seat 22 which surrounds the discharge opening of the filling tube. Said opening is adapted to be closed and to be controlled by means of a vertically movable conical valve 23 that is carried by the lower end of a stem 24 which extends upwardly through the filling tube and is adapted for engagement at its upper end with suitable valve controlling means. rlhe said valve 23 is shown as hingedly connected to the lower end of the stem bymeans of a pin 25 which extends transversely 'through the lower reduced, headed end of the stem and through a circular flange which eX- tends upwardly from the valve piece and surrounds the headed end of the valve stem. This arrangement permits the valve to be accurately seated against its seat 22, notwithstanding slight irregularities of fit of the seat and valve. The valve stem 24 is provided with radial guide arms 26 which engage the filling tube to hold the valve stem centrally within the tube. This construction also permits the valve stem and valve to be readily removed from the filling tube for the purpose of cleaning the parts. The said valve normally rests on its seat to close the filling tube by gravity, and it is lifted to open the filling tube by mechanism made as follows: 27 designates a vertically movable lift bar that is supported and guided in bearings Q18, 28 carried by the adjacent wall of the tanl. Attached to the upper end of the lift bar is a lift finger 29 which extends inwardly toward the valve stem 24 and is offset downwardly at 30 to engage under a head or block 31 carried by the upper end of the valve stem 24. The

rsaid lift finger is apertured to fit over the upper end of the lift bar and is held in place thereon by a set screw 32, whereby it may be adjusted vertically on the lift bar. The lift bar is provided at its lower end, below the lower bearing 28, with the laterally eX- tendingarm 35 which carries a roller 36 that is adapted to ride on a cam 87 suitably Xed to the frame of the machine, as, for instance, in the manner shown in my aforesaid U. S. Letters Patent, No. 910,265, granted on the 19th day of January, 1909.

In the closed or normal position of the valve 23 and its actuating mechanism, the odset end 30 of the lift finger 29 is spaced a distancebelow the head 31 of the valve stem 24. As shown in the construction in aforesaid patent, the lift bar is preliminarily raised, when the cans are presented to the filling tubes, so as to raise the bearing roller 35 in position to ride upon the lower, entering portion of the valve opening cam 37. This preliminary raising of the lift bar does not open the valve 23, but merely brings the lift finger 30 against the head 31 of the valve stem. ln the continued rotato open said valve. lf no can be presented to a given filling tube at a time when the bearing roller 36 of its valve actuating mechanism reaches the rising end of thc cam 37, the said bearing roller will not be raised to the level of the rising end of the cam, but will pass beneath the cam, and the valve associated therewith will not be lifted. The means herein shown for so preliminarily raising the lift bar consists of a lateral lug or extension 40 on the bell shaped mouth piece 17 which lies under the lift bar and is adapted, during the preliminary lift of the parts, te engage the lower end of the lift bar for the purpose stated, the sleeve 16 of the bell shaped mouth sliding upwardly on the tube section 12 during the preliminary lifting movement.

42 designates a vent tube which is adapted to extend downwardly into a can that is presented to the associated filling tube so that l when the liquid is delivered to the can and the vent tube is sealed by the rise of the liquid in the can the supply of liquid to the can is cut off. The said vent tube extends upwardly through openings in the bearing members 28, 28 of the lift rod and fits loosely in said openings. The vent tube 42 has a tight fit in a stuffing boX 45 carried by the bell shaped mouth piece 17. It is heldin adjustable positions by its fit with the stufeing boX 45. The upper end of said vent tube is adapted to be closed by a valve plug 46 which is carried by the lift finger 29. As herein shown, the said valve plug 46 is carried by and within the upper end of a short tube 47 that is fixed to the lift finger in any suitable manner, said tube 47 extending downwardly over the upper end of the vent tube for a short distance. The lug is shown as screwthreaded to the closed end of the tube 47 which latter has a slip fit with the opening of the arm 29 through which it extends so that the plug may thereby be adjusted toward and from the vent tube. The valve plug 46 is provided to prevent material leaking from the vent tube at a time when the main valve 23 is closed and no can is below the same. The liquid which remains in the vent tube, after a can has been filled and the flow cut off therefrom, is discharged into the neXt can presented thereto at the time the vent tube valve 46 is raised, the can being at this time raised up against the bell shaped mouth 17 and in position to receive all the liquid which may flow or drip from the vent tube. By reason of the fact that the liquid syrup is relatively thick and is, therefore, relatively sluggish in its movement in passing downwardly into the interstices between the pieces of the can contents, the liquid may rise a distance above the level of the top of the can into the nozzle mouth 17 before the filling flow is entirely stopped, the liquid subsequently settling about the pieces to the proper level at the top of the can.

As a further improvement l have provided at the lower end of the vent tube a guard or shoe 5() that is attached to and carried by the vent 'tube in any suitable manner, and is curved at its lower end 5l, downwardly and laterally past the open end ofthe vent tube. claid gua rd is lransverselv curved on a radius eoiisiilerabljv greater than that oit the lvent tube, and the lateralljY turned end 5l. thereo'lf is direcliul toward and is located near the side ol.t the, ran. l`he guard is provided iu order to prevent the fruit or other product in the can, lo which the syrup is supplied, lrom being inipaled upon the lower end ol' the vent tube and thereby clogl said tube and defeat its normal venting and sealing ilunction.

ln order to prevent the liquid `which may be forced 'upwardly through the relatively small vent tube and out o'l' the upper end thereof, 'from 'Flowing inc'lisi-,riminately over the niachiiie, l have proviffled means l'or di recting'such overllo as may occur back to the tank or reservoir l0. VFor this purpose the tube section il?, into which the upper end of the vent tube extends, is providei'l around the vent tube with a downwardly inclined drain plate to direct an)y drippings from the upper end ol the veut tube to a slot or oj'iening 5h at the inner side ol*A the section 47. The upper lilt bar l'iearing Q8, or a tubular extension 5S tlnreolt is provided beneath the tube sei'ftion l-T, with an inwardly .inclined trough 55) to receive such dripping and direct the same bach to the reservoir or tank 10.

It will be understood that the structural details oit the invention described may be somewhat varied within the spirit and scope of the invention and that the invention is not limited to such details except as herew inaitter `made the subject ol specific claims and as imposed. by the prior art.

I claim as my invention l. A can filling machine comprising a reservoir having a discharge opening; which empties into a receptacle presented thereto, a valve for controlling said c'lischarp'e opening, with means for actuating the valve` a vent tube adapted to project into the top and at one side oitl a receptacle presented to said discharge opening', a valve .ior controllingr the vent tube and `a guard carrieifl by the lower end of the vent tube and extending across the lower end thereotl towari'l the adjacent side of the can.

9. A can filling' machine comprising a reservoir having a discharge opening' which empties into a receptacle presented thereto, a valve for controlling said discharge opening, with means for actuating` the valve, a vent tube adapted to project into a receptacle presented to said discharge opening, and means whereby the vent tube may he vertically adjusted to vary the depth of its penetration'into the receptacle being filled,

and a verticalljr adjustable valve to close said vent tube.`

El. A, can lilliug machine comprising, in conibiuation, a reseiwoir havingl a discharge opening;` to emptj' into a reiaaitaele presented [lu-reto with means l'or .fontrollingl the llow ol' the liquid therethrough and a vent tube adapted to extend into the top and at one side ol` the receptacle and proviiled at its lower end` with a guard which extends across the lower end ol' said lube.

-l. ln a can lilliid;l machine, a vent tube with means lfor controlling; thc llow ol: air therel'lu'ough, and a guard fixed to the lower end ol'l the tube and extending;l across the lower end thereol.

3. i\ can .lillingl machine comprising a reservoir havin;l a discharge opening which empties into a receptacle jn'esented thereto, a valve 'lor controlling,` said opening, with means `l'or arluatiirgl the valve, a vent tube adapted to extend at its lower end into the receptacle. a valve Yl'or closingl the upper end olt said vent tube, haviujl' means wherebyv it is actuated `trom the discharge opening valve ,su'tuating` means, said veut tube being vertiralljv adjustable, and means lior verticallv adjusting its closingI valve.

o. A can lillingi machine comprising a rcservoir havingl a discharge openinpl which empties into a receptacle presented thereto, a valve l`or controlling said opening provided with a stem extending' upwardly through said reservoir, a li'lft bar at the side ot the reservoir, havingi` connections with said stem to open said valve, a vent tube exs terior to the reservoir adapted to project into a receptacle below a ndopen at its npper end` a valve carried by said litt bar for closing the upper end o'l the vent tube, said vent tube being verticali)Y adjustable, and means 'lfor vertically adjusting the vent tube valve relativelv to said. li't't bar.

i'. can lilliue' machine comprising' a reservoir having' a diselnu'ge opening' which empties into a recia'itaele presented thereto, a valve l`or efmtrolling,r said opening' provided with a stem which extends innvardl)1 through the reservoir, a lilt bar at the side oi: the reservoir, having connections with said stem to open said valve, a vent tube exterior to the reservoir adapted to project into a receptacle below and open at its upper end. a valve carried b v said li'lt har ior closing' the upper end o'l' the vent tube, and means `lor directing liquid which escapes Alroin the upper end o'l the vent tube back 'to the reservoir.

Q. can Filling machine comprising' a reservoir having;` a dischargige opening which emptiiis into a receptacle presented thereto. a valve Jfor controlling said opening; provided with a stem which extends upwardly7 through the reservoir, a lift bar at the side o'l the reservoir, having); connections with said stem to open said valve, a vent tube exterior to the reservoir adapted to project into a receptacle below and open at its upper end, a valve for closing the upper end of said vent tube, a housing carried by the lift rod into which the upper end of the vent tube extends and an inclined drip plate within said housing surrounding the upper end of the tube for directing fluid to the reservoir.

9. A. can filling machine comprising a reservoir, a filling tube depending therefrom and communicating therewith and having at its lower end a discharge opening, a valve for controlling said discharge opening, with mea is for actuating the same, a sleeve slidable on said filling tube and terminating in a bell shaped mouth to engage and seal the upper end of the receptacle, said filling tube terminating above the level of the lower edge of said mouth and the mouth being made of a size to receive a portion of the contents of the receptacle, and means whereby the vertical movement of said sleeve controls said filling tube discharge opening valve.

l0. A can lling machine comprising a reservoir, a filling tube depending therefrom and communicating therewith and having at its lower end a discharge opening, a valve for controlling said discharge opening, a lift rod for actuating said valve, a mouth piece slidable on the filling tube to engage and seal the upper end of the reccptacle and provided with means for actuating said lift rod, a controlling cam coperating with the lift rod to open said valve, a vertically adjustable vent tube adapted to dip atv reservoir, a filling tube depending therefromv and communicating therewith and having at its lower end a discharge opening, a valve for controlling said discharge opening, with means for actuating the same, a sleeve slidable on said filling tube and terminating in a bell shaped mouth to engage and seal the upper end of a receptacle, a lift rod to c0ntrol the filling tube valve, a lug projecting from said sleeve to engage the lift rod to preliminarily raise it when a receptacle presented to the filling tube raises said sleeve, a lift rod controlling cam above said mouth and a projection on the lift rod adapted to be lifted into engagement with said cam.

In testimony, that I claim .the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 22nd day of January, A. D. 1913.

LEWIS A. BAKER. Witnesses:

W. L. HALL, G. E. DoWLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

